The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 389: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

306 aHE COURT OF LONDON with me a certain lady to-night, you would have only the faintest light burning in the room where you received us? ”’ “And have I not fulfilled your commands, my unknown but most liberal patroness? ’’ exclaimed the doctor; ‘ and if for a moment I mechanically prepared to light another lamp, it was because your companion seemed to hang back as if afraid of penetrating into the gloomy obscurity of this place.” “Thanks for your kind intention, but it is unnecessary,” returned Mrs. Ranger. It now struck Agatha wherefore so feeble a lamp was flickering in the room; it was evidently a precaution insisted upon by Mrs. Ranger, in her previous interviews with the doctor, in order to prevent him from having the slightest chance of penetrating with his eagle eyes through the veils which his visitants wore. “This, I presume,’’ said Maravelli, pointing toward Agatha, ‘‘is the lady concerning whom you, madam,” and he turned toward Mrs. Ranger, ‘“‘ have spoken to me? ”’ ‘It is so,’”’ responded the vile woman thus addressed. ‘““As I have already told you, doctor, my companion is most anxious to assure herself beforehand that every arrangement has been well settled and agreed upon between you. and me for the coming event in which she, poor thing! is destined to be the principal actress.”’ ‘Tam most happy thus to form the acquaintance of one who is to be my patient,’ said the doctor, ‘‘ that is, so far as an acquaintance can be possibly made where the counte- nance is to remain unseen and the name unknown.” _“ Those are the conditions,’’ observed Mrs. Ranger, “‘ and I will repeat the rest in my companion’s presence to satisfy her mind not only that I have made the various arrange- ments which I have already explained to her, but that you, doctor, understand those arrangements exactly as I have proposed them.’’ ‘“ Proceed,” said Agatha, in a low tone; but her fears were now dissipating, and she began to perceive that she had been the prey of unfounded alarms. “Tn the first place,’’ resumed Mrs. Ranger, “ I have pro- posed that you, Doctor Maravelli, shall— when the term for this lady’s accouchement approaches — hold yourself in Gomicbooks (E(@)